domingo, 14 de dezembro de 2014

The case against human rights

Eric PosnerMany
believe that international human rights law is one of our greatest moral
achievements. But there is little evidence that it is effective. A radically
different approach is long overdue.

In July
2013, Amarildo de Souza, a bricklayer living in a Rio de Janeiro favela, was
arrested by police in an operation to round up drug traffickers. He was never
seen again. De Souza’s disappearance was taken up by protesters in street
demonstrations, which were met with a ruthless police response. Normally, de
Souza’s story would have ended there, but public pressure led to a police
investigation, and eventually to the arrest of 10 police officers, who were
charged with torturing and murdering him.